BENNETT STONE QUARRY

EPA ID# IND006418651
Last Updated: July, 2010

Site Description

The Bennett Stone Quarry, which is also known as the Bennett's Dump site, consists of two adjacent parcels totaling about four acres and is located approximately 2.5 miles northwest of Bloomington. The site was formerly a limestone quarry pit, filled with various waste materials, including demolition debris, household wastes, and electrical parts. A large number of electrical capacitors containing polychorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were dumped at the site during the 1960s and 1970s. Labels found on the capacitors linked the PCB contamination to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, which manufactured capacitors in Bloomington from about 1958 until the mid 1970s. Property adjacent to the site was used for limestone cutting and quarry operations. Most residents living within one mile of the site are served by municipal water, however, some residents use private wells for drinking water.

In August 1985, Westinghouse, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, and the Indiana State Board of Health signed a Consent Decree (CD) to address PCB-contaminated materials from six sites, located in and near Bloomington, including Bennett's Stone Quarry. The CD required Westinghouse to construct an incinerator that would incinerate PCB-contaminated materials from the six sites. Also, in the CD and prior to the excavation of the Bennett's Dump site, interim cleanup measures were required to be completed by Westinghouse. Due to public opposition to the incinerator and the State of Indiana passing a number of laws that delayed and blocked the construction of the incinerator remedy that was required in the 1985 CD, the CD parties began to explore alternative remedies in 1994 for the six PCB contaminated sites.

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through federal, state, county, city and potentially responsible party (PRP) actions

Threats and Contaminants

On-site groundwater, soils, and sediments were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCB-contaminated groundwater emerges from springs on the site into Stouts Creek. Offsite sediments located in Stout Creek also were contaminated with PCBs. Smaller amounts of PCBs were found in the waters of Stout Creek. Area residents could have been exposed to contaminants through direct contact with PCB-contaminated soil and PCB-contaminated water from on-site springs and Stout's Creek. The primary human health risk posed by the site was the direct contact with contaminated soil and surface water. Since fish in Stout's Creek are contaminated with low levels of PCBs, wildlife that use fish as a food source are also potentially at risk.

Cleanup Progress

In 1983, Monroe County discovered the Bennett's Dump site and requested that EPA perform an emergency removal at the site. EPA removed capacitors from the surface of the site and installed a clay cap, security fencing and warning signs. The CD required that Westinghouse do additional interim cleanup measures and in 1987, 252 PCB contaminated capacitors were removed from the site, 14 cubic yards of soil was removed, and PCB contaminated sediment in Stout's Creek was also removed.

After the agreement was reached in 1994 to explore other remedies, little progress was made by the CD parties to implement a final cleanup at the Bennett's Dump site. The Federal Court was unhappy with the progress and in November 1997, the Federal Court issued a judicial order stating that the excavation activities for all six sites must be completed by December 2000.

On October 16, 1998, EPA signed a Record of Decision Amendment selecting the following remedy:

• Excavation and disposal off-site in a permitted landfill all material greater than 25 parts per million on average. The estimated volume of PCB contaminated material is 55,000 cubic yards. A 12-inch clean soil cover was scheduled to be placed over the site.
• PCB containing capacitors discovered during excavation will be removed and incinerated off-site in a permitted incinerator.
• Sediment in Stout's Creek greater than 1 part per million PCBs will be excavated and placed on the site under the clean soil cover.
• Long-term groundwater monitoring of wells and springs and deed restrictions will be implemented.

In August 1999, CBS Corporation (formerly Westinghouse and Viacom) began excavation activities at the site. A total of 36,172 tons of PCB contaminated material was excavated and disposed of in an off-site landfill permitted to accept PCBs. In addition, 1,756 capacitors weighing 118.72 tons were excavated and incinerated in an off-site incinerator permitted to accept PCBs. The 12-inch soil cover was placed over the site. The final PCB cleanup value was 11.3 parts per million PCBs on average. The excavation activities, excluding the sediment removal were completed in November 1999. Based upon the soil cleanup, the site may be redeveloped for industrial or commerical use.

In September 2000, a small sediment removal in Stout's Creek was completed. A total of 10 cubic yards of sediment with a maximum PCB concentration of 2.7 parts per million was excavated and disposed of under the clean soil cover at the site.

After the cleanup activities were completed, two springs on the Bennett's Dump site showed low levels of PCB contamination. The springs flow into Stout's Creek. Viacom has agreed to investigate the groundwater to further understand the site hydrogeology and karst geology. The Bennett's Dump site was evaluated through EPA's five-year review process in the summer of 2002. On October 16, 2002, EPA signed a five-year review which evaluated the continuing release of PCBs from the springs into Stout's Creek and determined that further investigation was required. The groundwater investigation and the assessment of the risk from the continuing release of PCBs from the springs into Stout's Creek will be completed in 2006. Once the groundwater investigation and risk assessment activities are completed, it will then be determined in 2006 what types of additional cleanup activities will be required.

A Proposed Plan to address the groundwater and sediment was released on February 3, 2006 and after a 60-day public comment period a Record of Decision Amendment was signed on September 27, 2006. The site remedy consists of the installation of a passive quarry drain for the surrounding water filled quarries to minimize groundwater flow from springs and groundwater and the construction of a groundwater interceptor trench to capture and treat PCB contaminated water by carbon adsorption prior to discharge into Stout's Creek.

The EPA, State of Indiana, City of Bloomington, Monroe County and CBS Corporation have completed global settlement negotiations for the groundwater and sediment operable units at Bennett's Dump, Neal's Landfill and Lemon Lane Landfill. The global settlement includes the implmentation of the groundwater and sediment operable units, payment of EPA's past costs and natural resource damages. The Consent Decree was entered by the Federal Court in Indianapolis on July 23, 2009 and design activities for the site remedy began immediately. Installation of the first phase of construction activities (passive quarry drain) is underway. All construction is expected to be completed in 2012.

Community Involvement

A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) has been given to the Citizens Opposed to PCB Ash (COPA) to help the community disseminate information and provide technical assistance to the community.

Property Reuse

The Bennett's Dump site can be developed for industrial/commerical use.